Cost

Subjects

Deadlines

Program Overview

Costa Rica offers students a challenging academic experience with travel through breathtaking scenery, immense biodiversity, culturally immersive homestays, and a variety of unique excursions. The program begins at Arenal Volcano and ends in the capital of San José. In between, students live with local families in the small towns of La Paz de San Ramón and San Marcos de Tarrazú and visit Corcovado National Park along the country’s Pacific coast. Note: Several excursions are physically strenuous and require hiking in heat and humidity.

Language Requirement: None for SPAN 200 and PHIL 401. For SPAN 211, must have at least 6 credit hours of college-level Spanish or equivalent at time of departure.

Accommodations: Homestay, 2 people per house. A few nights in hotels or cabins, 2-4 per room.

Orientation: Mandatory orientation on Saturday, April 18 in Bowling Green, KY. See Orientation for more information.

Courses

SPAN 200 Latin American Society: Past and Present

This course will provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to the cultures and societies of Latin America including exposure to Latinx in the U.S. Students will gain an understanding of the major processes that have shaped Latin America in the past and continue to affect the region today.

SPAN 211 Intermediate Spanish Culture Abroad

Course designed to develop an appreciation for different aspects of Spanish-speaking countries and their people and cultures, for a student with one year of college Spanish or equivalent. Taught in Spanish.

PHIL 401 Topics: Latin American Thought and Philosophy

This course will introduce students to three central concepts in Latin American thought and philosophy: Identity formation, environmental sustainability, and social empowerment. We will explore these concepts in theory as well as in practice through our readings and through our time in Costa Rica.

All KIIS course credit is awarded by Western Kentucky University. Prior to your KIIS program, please speak with your home campus academic advisor and/or study abroad office to determine course equivalencies. Grades will be transferred to your home institution in mid-August after the completion of the program. Course offerings are subject to change according to enrollment. For more information, visit Transcripts & Grades.

Program Excursions

This charming, mile-high small town in the central highlands has a compact downtown and an inviting park as its heart. Window shop, sample local cuisine, or play soccer with students from the local college.

Hike through Corcovado National Park, where you might see monkeys, a lapa roja, and many other exotic animals—you may even spot a dolphin while snorkeling! All meals come with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Costa Rica’s coffee is world-renowned. We’ll tour a large industrial processing facility and a family coffee plantation that has received national awards. Bring some colones if you want to take any home!

A local guide leads us on a hike through his private land to a beautiful cascade tumbling out of the cloud forest into a crystal-clear pool several hundred feet below. The hike is long and strenuous, but bring your swimsuit!

Trapiches, or sugarcane processing plants, dot the Costa Rican countryside and are deeply integrated into the national and local economies. Learn about Costa Rican history as you see each step of the process—and taste the sweet results!

To help you budget, keep in mind that you are responsible for the cost of your textbooks & materials, passport fees ($135), personal expenses (approx. $500 minimum) and any fees from your college/university.

Although KIIS tries to foresee all possible expenses in formulating program fees, please note that dramatic fluctuations in foreign currency valuations and/or airline surcharges may affect the total cost of the program.

Required Group Flight

Estimated Cost: $1,000- $1,100

The group flight is required for KIIS Costa Rica participants (any exceptions must be approved by the program director). KIIS will purchase a roundtrip flight ticket for you. The flight cost will be added to your final program fee on April 1. The group flight will depart from Cincinnati or Louisville.

Student Voices

“Studying in Costa Rica changed my life. I did not just have one professor but the entire country was like a professor. I learned so much information outside the classroom and inside my home stay.”

– Courtney, Costa Rica

“My trip to Costa Rica was beyond amazing. Being immersed in a new culture, especially one as great as it is in Costa Rica, really opened my eyes and taught me more than a tradition class ever could. You really get to learn a lot about not only your focus area that you study, but also about yourself which is really beneficial.”

– Rachel, Costa Rica

“On the KIIS Costa Rica trip, I realized just how much you need to be immersed in a culture to understand its people, language, and customs. Sure you can read about them in a book or take a language class, but having the opportunity to live with the host families in San Marcos and La Paz was what allowed me to gain a true appreciation for the Spanish language and the people who speak it.”

- Christina, Costa Rica

“It's been a great experience so far, I've really enjoyed everything I've experienced. I am eager to see what else I'm going to experience.”

- Larry, Costa Rica

"My heart has never been as full as it is after living in Costa Rica among some of the most loving people I've ever met, who truly know how to appreciate the little things in life. After Costa Rica, I hope to appreciate every opportunity I get, say buenos días to every person I meet on the road, and go back to visit my host family someday."

– Tess, Costa Rica

“Through these personal (teaching) connections that I was invited to hike Cerro de la Cruz and participate in a reforestation project (pictured in this photo), to go dancing with some of the students from the classes that we worked with, and to learn and compare the education system in Costa Rica with that of the United States.”

Cost

Subjects

Deadlines

Program Overview

Costa Rica offers students a challenging academic experience with travel through breathtaking scenery, immense biodiversity, culturally immersive homestays, and a variety of unique excursions. The program begins at Arenal Volcano and ends in the capital of San José. In between, students live with local families in the small towns of La Paz de San Ramón and San Marcos de Tarrazú and visit Corcovado National Park along the country’s Pacific coast. Note: Several excursions are physically strenuous and require hiking in heat and humidity.

Language Requirement: None for SPAN 200 and PHIL 401. For SPAN 211, must have at least 6 credit hours of college-level Spanish or equivalent at time of departure.

Accommodations: Homestay, 2 people per house. A few nights in hotels or cabins, 2-4 per room.

Orientation: Mandatory orientation on Saturday, April 18 in Bowling Green, KY. See Orientation for more information.

Courses

SPAN 200 Latin American Society: Past and Present

This course will provide students with an interdisciplinary introduction to the cultures and societies of Latin America including exposure to Latinx in the U.S. Students will gain an understanding of the major processes that have shaped Latin America in the past and continue to affect the region today.

SPAN 211 Intermediate Spanish Culture Abroad

Course designed to develop an appreciation for different aspects of Spanish-speaking countries and their people and cultures, for a student with one year of college Spanish or equivalent. Taught in Spanish.

PHIL 401 Topics: Latin American Thought and Philosophy

This course will introduce students to three central concepts in Latin American thought and philosophy: Identity formation, environmental sustainability, and social empowerment. We will explore these concepts in theory as well as in practice through our readings and through our time in Costa Rica.

All KIIS course credit is awarded by Western Kentucky University. Prior to your KIIS program, please speak with your home campus academic advisor and/or study abroad office to determine course equivalencies. Grades will be transferred to your home institution in mid-August after the completion of the program. Course offerings are subject to change according to enrollment. For more information, visit Transcripts & Grades.

Program Excursions

This charming, mile-high small town in the central highlands has a compact downtown and an inviting park as its heart. Window shop, sample local cuisine, or play soccer with students from the local college.

Hike through Corcovado National Park, where you might see monkeys, a lapa roja, and many other exotic animals—you may even spot a dolphin while snorkeling! All meals come with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Costa Rica’s coffee is world-renowned. We’ll tour a large industrial processing facility and a family coffee plantation that has received national awards. Bring some colones if you want to take any home!

A local guide leads us on a hike through his private land to a beautiful cascade tumbling out of the cloud forest into a crystal-clear pool several hundred feet below. The hike is long and strenuous, but bring your swimsuit!

Trapiches, or sugarcane processing plants, dot the Costa Rican countryside and are deeply integrated into the national and local economies. Learn about Costa Rican history as you see each step of the process—and taste the sweet results!

To help you budget, keep in mind that you are responsible for the cost of your textbooks & materials, passport fees ($135), personal expenses (approx. $500 minimum) and any fees from your college/university.

Although KIIS tries to foresee all possible expenses in formulating program fees, please note that dramatic fluctuations in foreign currency valuations and/or airline surcharges may affect the total cost of the program.

Required Group Flight

Estimated Cost: $1,000- $1,100

The group flight is required for KIIS Costa Rica participants (any exceptions must be approved by the program director). KIIS will purchase a roundtrip flight ticket for you. The flight cost will be added to your final program fee on April 1. The group flight will depart from Cincinnati or Louisville.

Student Voices

“Studying in Costa Rica changed my life. I did not just have one professor but the entire country was like a professor. I learned so much information outside the classroom and inside my home stay.”

– Courtney, Costa Rica

“My trip to Costa Rica was beyond amazing. Being immersed in a new culture, especially one as great as it is in Costa Rica, really opened my eyes and taught me more than a tradition class ever could. You really get to learn a lot about not only your focus area that you study, but also about yourself which is really beneficial.”

– Rachel, Costa Rica

“On the KIIS Costa Rica trip, I realized just how much you need to be immersed in a culture to understand its people, language, and customs. Sure you can read about them in a book or take a language class, but having the opportunity to live with the host families in San Marcos and La Paz was what allowed me to gain a true appreciation for the Spanish language and the people who speak it.”

- Christina, Costa Rica

“It's been a great experience so far, I've really enjoyed everything I've experienced. I am eager to see what else I'm going to experience.”

- Larry, Costa Rica

"My heart has never been as full as it is after living in Costa Rica among some of the most loving people I've ever met, who truly know how to appreciate the little things in life. After Costa Rica, I hope to appreciate every opportunity I get, say buenos días to every person I meet on the road, and go back to visit my host family someday."

– Tess, Costa Rica

“Through these personal (teaching) connections that I was invited to hike Cerro de la Cruz and participate in a reforestation project (pictured in this photo), to go dancing with some of the students from the classes that we worked with, and to learn and compare the education system in Costa Rica with that of the United States.”